Someone recently wrote in, asking about the utility of precision pliers. Well, they asked specifically about small tools, referring to new mini pliers that are coming out, but I typically take mini pliers to mean precision pliers.

Precision pliers and cutters are useful for when you need to cut, manipulate, or work with smaller or more delicate materials. They also come in handy when working in tight spaces.

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I’ve used precision cutters to trim electronic components, and mini pliers for holding things like small wires and fasteners.

Back when I worked in a research lab, I worked out a method of fracturing small samples for microstructural analysis using mini smooth-jawed duckbill pliers inside a 1-gallon zippable baggie. The pliers worked great, and the baggie ensured that small fragments or fracture halves didn’t go flying. Larger pliers would have obliterated the work.

Smaller pliers allow for more precise control, useful for when small parts are to be bent, cut, or placed in an exact way.

I’ve used a couple of different brands of precision pliers. Xuron is one of my favorite brands to recommend. As mentioned in my review of Xuron Micro-Shear flush cutters, they’re inexpensive, well-made, and made in the USA. They offer great bang for the buck.

I’ll save a rundown of other precision pliers brands for another time. In the meantime, I’m curious to hear about how you might use precision pliers, mini pliers, small cutters, and so forth. This generally applies to pliers 4″ to 6″ in length.

So, here goes: What do you use precision pliers for?

If you don’t own any precision pliers but have been meaning to pick some up, here are 2 good starting points:

I own a selection of Xuron pliers, and still use them often. I also own a set of the Tekton pliers, and they’re okay for basic beginner’s needs. If you don’t know what you’ll need, it’s often a good idea to buy an inexpensive set and replace the ones you find yourself using most often.

28 Comments

I used Xuron pliers for years, they worked well, and stayed sharp longer than I expected them to. They were great for precision work, and I’m willing to bet that I used them in a way very few people here have. I used the precision side cutters to clip the needle teeth of baby piglets. Even domestic hogs will grow tusks similar to wild hogs (smaller but still able to do major damage to other hogs in a fight or even harm their handlers. If cut before the pig is 3-4 days old, the teeth are soft enough they will not crack, and if done properly, pain free, and the tusks will not grow back. Processing pigs (and cleaning up after them) was one of my first jobs I got while still in high school. Needle teeth is the term for the teeth that eventually grow into tusks.

I have quite a number of miniature pliers – some a bit specialized for things like model railroading, RC models, model sprue cutting and fly tying. More often I grab a miniature pair of pliers when I need to do some fine work – perhaps on eyeglasses, a piece of jewelry, a watch, some electronic component etc.
My tiny Knipex 125 mm long Cobra (87 01 125) and Plier Wrench (86 03 125) – I also find remarkably handy. The Channellock 424-G that I own – also gets some use. BTW – good Jewelers pliers often come with highly polished surfaces sometimes with brass or nylon faces so as not to scratch or mar the work.
Bernard style parallel jaw pliers can be useful for gripping jewelry. I also have several sets of what’s called Mosquito Foreceps – not exactly pliers – but great for grabbing small parts.

I second Stuart’s recommendation for Xuron – but some other companies/vendors to consider when looking for miniature pliers are:

I use them specifically for soldering and delicate electrical work like that. Ie cutting leads on capacitors after soldering them in, trimming small gauge wire etc. Xuron also makes ESD (Electro Static Discharge) safe versions of these and most of their other pliers as well.

I build 1/96 scale radio control ship models. Most of the details need to be scratch built, so a good set of tools is vital. I have one set of flush cutting shears that I only use for polystyrene, to keep them sharp – I can use them to snip pieces of plastic very precisely to form triangle shaped stiffeners, which are very common on ships. Xuron makes a set of pliers that nicely bridges the gap between needle nose pliers and tweezers, which are useful for inserting the brass pins I use to locate and reinforce details – the part number 450 Tweezer pliers.

i regularily use a set of Velleman precision pliers when working with small gauge wires found in alarm panels.
normal sized pliers are just too big to work with those and most often times the alarm panels are stuck in some remote and not readily accessible space.
Others pliers i have used are Knipex ones, but working on location i ended up losing quite a few of those, so i switched to lower priced ones. Still those are nicely made pliers and not far removed from the Knipex for a quarter of the price.

We use dozens of these at work for PCb work and prototyping. We have as the flush cutters needle-nose tweezes and others. We also have Excelite and and a couple tools by Excelta.

I have a a few Xuron at home as well as some Cooper tools (now Xcelite) side cutters and needle nose pliers that I bought way back in my my college days. I’ve also uses Knipex electronic pliers (awsome) and and assortment of stainless steel smooth jaw needle nose pliers, forceps, and dental tools that I acquired at hamvention flea market way back.

I’ve used them (precision pliers, and cutters that is) for electronics (hobby and repair), RC models, watch repair, straitening pins on connectors, cutting zip ties, cutting small plastic parts for hobby, even pulling pin bones out of fish before I got a dedicated stainless pliers.

The forceps are great for pinching small tubing and for positioning small nuts and screws in tight ares, or retrieving them once you drop them in the same tight areas!

The dental picks and scrapers are great for all kinds of hobby situations and electronic rework, but have also come on handy in removing old paint from tight spots, or shaping bondo or wood filler, removing O-rings, removing old gasket material during car and appliance repairs, etc.

I just read your review of the Xuron cutter pictured above. As you mentioned, these are for soft wire and good way to ruin them is by cutting hard material. If you are looking to cut harder material like piano wire or dental wire, then try the carbide tipped Exceltas.

One interesting aspect the Xuron side cutters (and similar ones from Xcelits and others) is the cutters have a limited bypass action as opposed to standard side cutters, were the blades are exactly flush. This is visible in one of the photo in your review. This was originally designed to reduce damaging shock to sensitive electronic components while trimming leads. It also reduce the projectile force of the trimmed leads compared to regular cutters, so less chance of getting injured.

I learned something new – thanks for the info on hoe the blade mate – and also about the Excelta brand that seem a bit out of my league as a hobbyist user – even though this price at Amazon seems to be 2.5X what you might pay elsewhere

I make jewellery for family and friends’ birthdays/the holidays/etc. Working in 1.5 or 2mm Sterling Silver chain, and 30 gauge sterling silver wire, I can’t live without my mini pliers. I have 1 pair of red and black “Made in Germany” ergonomic spring-action side-cutters, and 2 pair of these bright yellow spring loaded precision needle-nose pliers from Lee Valley.

I have thought about an upgrade for them, but they all perform so well, for so long, that I can’t see any reason to justify it. I know I “Should” have some sort of brand name attached to these tools, but I can’t, for the life of me, see a reason to replace these already-perfect tools. Even though there’s no brand name anywhere to be found on them.

I would say I use my long nose precision pliers most of all, usually for grabbing things that have fallen into spots where they won’t come out otherwise and I don’t want to damage anything. They work great since you get way more leverage than a pair of tweezers, and you can apply a removable plastic coating like Plasti-dip to the tips or jaws for some extra cushion and grip.

I use side cutters mostly for modeling and cutting zip ties these days. I have a pair from Xuron and while I did have an issue with it loosening up and developing some play after a day of light use, Xuron customer service was outstanding. I would still highly recommend their tools.

I’ve been looking for an excuse to try some Tronex side cutters (made in USA) but I just haven’t found the right one yet.